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Atlanta Braves 2018 Minor League Review: Left-handed starters

By Benjamin Chase

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: Sean Newcomb #15 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at AT&T Park on September 10, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: Sean Newcomb #15 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at AT&T Park on September 10, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
ATLANTA, GA – JULY 31: Kolby Alllard #36 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch in the fifth inning of his MLB pitching debut during the game against the Miami Marlins at SunTrust Park on July 31, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /

Upper minors

The guy who drew the most divisive attention this year was former top pick Kolby Allard, the Atlanta Braves first selection in the 2015 draft. Allard was pushed up to AA in 2017 and didn’t blink, so when he was promoted again to AAA at 20 to open 2018, most thought he’d again excel, and statistically, he absolutely did. His final line for Gwinnett was a 2.72 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 112 1/3 innings, posting a 34/89 BB/K ratio. However, Allard’s velocity had settled into the low-90s, requiring Kolby to rely on his premium location and sequencing for success. He absolutely showed an ability to do exactly that at the AAA level, though he may end up being more of a #4 starter than a #1/2 starter.

One of the top Braves arms that could end up having a career in the bullpen or rotation, Max Fried is the last piece left from the original Justin Upton deal. The combination of his mid-90s fastball and premium curve has allowed Fried to have success, posting a 3.94 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over 77 2/3 innings with 34/87 BB/K ratio in the minors along with a 2.94 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 20/44 BB/K over 33 2/3 innings in the majors, working 14 games, 5 of them as a starter. Whether as a back-end starter or a reliever, Fried should factor into the Braves roster for 2019.

If anyone in the entire Atlanta Braves organization would like a do-over on the 2018 season, it’d be Luiz Gohara. Family health issues, loss of family, and personal health issues marred Gohara’s season, and he was never able to replicate his brilliant first season in the Atlanta Braves system. Over the year he posted a 4.81 ERA in 58 innings with 59 K’s in the minors and a 5.95 ERA with 18 K over 19 2/3 innings in the majors. Gohara has a legit 70-grade fastball and 70-grade fastball, if not better, from the left side. That will get him plenty of opportunities.

After spending much of 2017 as a swingman for Mississippi, Michael Mader was a starter for the majority of his 2018, pitching between AA and AAA, making 30 appearances, 16 of them starts, as he tallied 102 innings at a 3.71 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and a 53/85 BB/K ratio. Mader is not a guy who will overpower, and the swingman role is his likely path to the big leagues if he makes it there.

The third high school arm taken in the 2016 draft, Kyle Muller very well may have been the most athletic, a legit two-way star that had a full-ride offer to play first base and pitch in college. The big Texan jumped up both A-ball levels and finished his 2018 in Mississippi, and his advanced feel made that a very logical ascension as he seemed right at home in the moment. In total, Muller made 25 starts, tossing 139 2/3 innings, with a 3.03 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and a 46/129 BB/K ratio.

Put on the 40-man roster last offseason to protect his raw talent, Ricardo Sanchez struggled through injury this season, but when he was on the mound, he showed his potential mid-rotation stuff, making 16 starts, tossing 73 2/3 innings, with a 3.79 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and a 28/57 BB/K ratio. He’ll still just be 21 when the season opens in 2019.

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